Warned by a sign
Fixed speed camera (オービス (Orbis), loop coil type), Fixed speed camera (オービス (Orbis), radar type), Fixed speed camera (Hシステム and LHシステム (H and LH systems))
Not always warned
Other camera, Mobile camera, Unmarked camera car
Real photos, with where each one was taken and who took it.
オービス (Orbis), loop coil type
Looks like: A camera unit beside or above the road, usually behind wire mesh. Three sensor loops are buried in the road, and the spot is marked with white lines or notched grooves in the road surface.
Catches: Speeding.
It does not transmit, so ordinary radar detectors cannot sense it.
オービス (Orbis), radar type
Looks like: A camera on the central reserve or the roadside, with a radar antenna about 10 metres ahead of it over the road.
Catches: Speeding.
Used where loops are hard to install, such as busy roads.
Hシステム and LHシステム (H and LH systems)
Looks like: A camera housing on a gantry over the road. Some H systems are paired with an electronic board that lights up 速度落とせ (slow down). LH systems use loops in the road marked with white lines, and some are inside tunnels.
Catches: Speeding.
The most common fixed type.
可搬式オービス (portable Orbis)
Looks like: A small camera and speed sensor, sometimes on a tripod, set up at the roadside. Officers can carry it, so it can be used on narrow streets.
Catches: Speeding on school routes and residential roads, and also on main roads.
In use since April 2016. Every prefectural police force has them. Instead of posting signs, some police forces, such as Aichi and Oita, announce where they will use them in advance on social media.
移動式オービス (mobile Orbis)
Looks like: A police van, often a station wagon, parked at the roadside with the camera inside. Some are fitted in patrol cars.
Catches: Speeding.
Run by at least two officers.
覆面パトカー (unmarked police car)
Looks like: An ordinary-looking car with hidden police equipment.
Catches: Speeding and other offences. Officers chase and stop the driver.
速度自動取締装置設置路線 (sokudo jidō torishimari sōchi secchi rosen)
A fixed speed camera is ahead, usually 1 to 3 km away.
What to do: Check your speed.
Radar detectors: Legal
If you're in a hire car: The camera flashes when it takes a photo. A notice goes to the registered owner, usually within days. For a hire car, the hire company has to identify the driver, which can add weeks or months.
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Passing a cyclist without enough space or at an unsafe speed (since 1 April 2026) Fixed penalty for an ordinary car, plus 2 points. | ¥7,000 |
| Drunk driving (impaired) 35 points and revocation. | Up to ¥1,000,000, or up to 5 years in prison |
The full guide to driving in Japan · Speed cameras in other countries